Many gamers long for the classics. And yes, many developers have capitalized on that by making games with pixel art and a retro aesthetic that often hearkens back to the NES or SNES. In the case of developer Julia Minamata, the retro inspiration was classic Sierra graphic adventures. We’re talking about the glory days of Ken and Roberta Williams: King’s Quest, The Colonel’s Bequest, and more. As Minamata put together the literal and metaphorical puzzle pieces of what is now The Crimson Diamond, composer Dan Policar took a unique approach to his creative process. While I encourage you to read Jono’s The Crimson Diamond game review, the music is just as notable.
Even though Policar stuck with the conventional and era-appropriate Roland MT-32 while crafting The Crimson Diamond Original Soundtrack, he also live-streamed his composition process on his Twitch channel. As he worked, he had the opportunity to chat with supporters and provide insight into his process, his inspirations, and the challenges inherent in a project like this. Sadly, I was late in learning about The Crimson Diamond and largely missed out on Policar’s transparent approach to songwriting.
Given both the unique features and the limitations of the Roland MT-32, the music has to succeed on the fundamentals. Fortunately, that’s exactly what we have in this soundtrack. Right from the opening track, “The Crimson Diamond Theme” hits just right with good harmonic structure, melody, and dynamic instrumentation. Moments later, the second track, “Eavesdrop,” comes in with a moody and mysterious melodic theme and a killer synth bass. The first time I heard this, I couldn’t help but think of the early Elder Scrolls games: Arena and Daggerfall. Honestly, Policar’s music is notably more melodic and catchy than most of the music for those games. But that Roland synth bass is music to my ears. Literally.
Aside: Above, when I mentioned how the next track jumped right in after the first? For whatever reason, when Policar prepared these tracks on Bandcamp, some of them have a one or two-second silent pause between them, but others just jump abruptly from one to the next. This can be jarring, but it’s also strangely in keeping with the way these tunes would play back in a game like this. The non-transitions are notable between tracks 1 to 2, 7 to 8, and 25 to 26.
I enjoyed the range of style and genre throughout this soundtrack. “Ogdensburg Rag” uses a clanky, almost harpsichord-like piano sound, and as a ragtime composition, it is quite satisfying. “Tense Waltz” carries a lot of emotional weight with the minimalism of electric piano and snare drum. “Flashback” has the tension of film noir and late 20th century action spy movies (think James Bond or Mission: Impossible) with great use of modal scales, chromaticism, and the signature Hitchcock Chord.
The tracks are generally laid out in the order that you’ll encounter them in-game, except for the “Aha Sting” and bonus tracks tucked away at the end. This makes for a great listen for those of us who have played through The Crimson Diamond; the music serves as a shortcut to the classic EGA art and impressive storytelling. The journey is great from start to finish. I couldn’t even identify what might be referred to as “filler music” in the game’s middle. Tracks like “Chapter 2 Twist Loop” and “Tense Chapter 6” serve as paragons for solid midgame event music.
The Crimson Diamond Original Soundtrack doesn’t overstay its welcome, clocking in at 47 minutes. Like anything written with these limitations, I can imagine some people finding the music a bit sparse. However, given how heavily produced and layered most PC game music is these days, I find this music rather refreshing! If anything, I wouldn’t mind hearing more music intentionally composed using the MT-32. Will Nancy Maple make her return with another adventure? If she does, I hope Dan Policar is on board to write some more great music!
